Outlet and connection



Feb. 27, 1934. H. D. MILLER 1,948,933

OUTLET AND CONNECTION- Filed July 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l fl Horne y Feb 27, 1934.

H. D. MILLER 1,948,933

OUTLET AND CONNECTION Filed July 1-, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J41 /6 3d 16a,

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Inventor Home y Patented Feb. 27,, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical outlets and connections thereto, and particularly to an outlet combining in a single unit all necessary elements to be connected to a radio receiver, and cable means which include in one unit all necessary conductors for making the connections between the radio receiver and the outlet of my invention.

An important object of my invention is to provide in a single unit an outlet receptacle for mounting in the wall or floor of a room, which receptacle will combine within itself all of the necessary elements to which the radio receiver is required to be connected, so as to eliminate the necessity of using more than one outlet.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide a cable and plug connection means for a connection to and reception by the receptacle described, combining within itself all of the necessary conductors for connecting the radio receiver to the unitary receptacle, and also a separate connection for a lamp, said plug being arranged in conjunction with the outlet so as to prevent improper connection thereof with the outlet.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of the interior of a room including a radio receiver and a lamp, showing an adaptation of the embodiment of my invention thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the face plate of the outlet.

Figure 3 is a face view of the plug of the connection means.

0 Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the back section of the outlet body.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the back of the main section.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the outlet.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring applied.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, the numeral 5 refers generally to the base board in a room in which the outlet 6 of the invention may conveniently be mounted. The numeral '7 refers to the multiple cable connection of the invention having at one end the special plug 8. From the other end of the cable '7 extends a plurality of conductors 9 for connection to the radio receiving set, while another cable 10 may be utilized for connection to a lamp 11 or the like used in connection with the radio receiver generally designated 12.

The receptacle of the invention generally designated 6 comprises a body portion composed of the main body portion 13 and the base 14. The main body portion carries on its front the face plate 15. The body portion is adapted to be placed 5, 1 within an opening in the base board or floor or 1 other place where the device is to be installed, so that the face plate 15 will cover the opening and extend thereabout in the manner in which face plates of this general type are usually arranged.

The main body portion 13 comprises a generally rectangular dielectric block which may be vertically elongated as shown in Figures 4 to 6, inclusive. In the back of the main body portion p 13 there is provided a pair of vertically spaced 5 generally rectangular, relatively deep recesses 16 and 17.

Communicating from the front of the main body portion 13 into the upper of the recesses is a pair of horizontally aligned upper passages 18 and 19. These passages are horizontally elongated as seen. Below the passages 18, 19 there is a pair of vertical passages 20, 21 which are transversely spaced as shown. A partition 160. extends 35 across the recess 16 to isolate the contact members which are to be passed thereinto through the pairs of openings 18, 19 and 20, 21 which belong to distinct circuits, so as to conform to the underwriters requirements. The partition 16a 90,, may be of any suitable construction and arrangement for this purpose as prescribed by the prior art, and be made of dielectric material.

The lower of the recesses is provided with a pair of vertical passages 22, 23 similar to the ver- 5 tical passages 20, 21 in the recess 16. The purposes of these passages will become clear below.

The front of the main body portion 13 is formed with peripheral countersunk areas 24 which communicate with a centralized countersunk area 25 for receiving the face plate 15. It will be seen in Figure 2 that the peripheral areas 24 define with the centralized area 25 circular bosses 26,

27 in which the passages 18, 19 and 20, 21, and 22, 23, respectively, are located. The resulting bosses 26, 27 protrude through circular openings 28, 29 in the face plate. It will be observed that the upper boss and upper opening are larger than the lower boss and the lower opening. The peripheral edge of the face plate is beveled in the no conventional manner, and the plate is provided centrally with an opening to receive the bolt for assembling the same with the body portion of the device.

Connecting the base in superposed coinciding manner with the back of the main body portion and secured in such position is the long bolt 30 which passes through the opening provided therefor in the face plate and through a bore 31 in the main body portion and through a similar bore in the base 14. The bolt 30 is provided with a nut 32 for the rear end thereof, the nut being disposed in a countersunk recess 33 as seen in Figure 6.

The upper part of the base 14 is provided with a pair of horizontally aligned spring clips 34, 35 which correspond in position to the horizontally aligned passages 18, 19 in the upper recess 16 of the main body portion. The upper part of the base 14 below the spring clips 34, 35 is provided with a pair of vertical, transversely spaced spring clips 36, 37 which are arranged to correspond in position with the vertical passages 20, 21 also in the upper recess 16 of the main body portion 14 and are below the partition 16a.

The lower part of the base 14 is provided with a pair of vertical transversely spaced spring clips 38, 39 corresponding in position to the ver- .tical passages 22, 23, which are located in the lower recess 17 of the main body portion 14.

The spring clips may be of any suitable type to receive and frictionally hold and make a good contact with blades of a conventional type which --.are used in the connection plug to be described.

'Bolts pass through the base 14 from back to front and through the feet of the spring clips and are provided with a nut engaging the feet of the spring clips for mounting the spring clips on the base as described and shown. These bolts are 39, and a bus bar 40a. connects the spring clips 36 and 38.

It will be obvious that the number of passages and corresponding spring clips may be increased to any extent according to the requirement to 1 For connecting with the spring clips through the passages I provide a special plug generally designated 8 which may be in all respects similar to standard types of plugs with the exception that the contact prongs or blades thereof are multiplied in number to correspond with the number of passages in the upper recess 16 of the main body 13, the blades being arranged and aligned in a special way to correspond with the arrangeb." ment and alignment of the passages, so that the plug cannot be erroneously connected to the outlet.

In the embodiment explained herein the plug is provided with four flat blades arranged in cir- 65' arranged with their greatest transverse extensions in parallelism as shown in Figure 3. These arrangements and alignments of the blades correspond to the arrangement and alignment of the passages in the upper recess 16 of the main body portion. It will be observed that because of this arrangement no other than the correct connec- '35 the ground connection, the spring clip 36 one side of the power circuit, and the spring clip 37 the other side of the power circuit. A cable conductor 9 is provided connected to each of the blades of the plug 8 for connection to the designated spring clip, appropriate connections being made to the various parts of the radio receiver from the spring clips 34, 35.

The spring clips 38 and 39 are connected with the power supply circuit.

Though I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in material and structure and arrangement of parts, with n the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

.What is claimed is:-

'1. An outlet comprising a main body portion, said main body portion comprising a dielectric block having in its inward side an upper recess and a lower recess and a partition in the upper recess dividing the same into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a pair of upper slots formed through the body portion and communicating with the upper compartment, a pair of disaligned lower slots through the body portion and communicating with the lower compartment; a single pair of slots through the body portion and communicating with the lower recess; a base comprising a dielectric block engaged with the back face of the main body portion and closing the upper recess and the lower recess, a bolt extending through the main body portion and through the base for connecting the same; a pair of upper contacts on the base and extending into the upper compartment, a pair of lower contacts on the base and extending into the lower compartment, a single paircf contacts on the base and extending into the lower recess, all of said pairs of contacts beingaligned with their respective pairs of slots, and connection means extending between and electrically connecting the pair of lower contacts and the pair of single contacts.

2. An outlet comprising a main body portion, said main body portion comprising a dielectric block having in its inward side an upper recess and a lower recess and a partition in the upper recess dividing the same into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a pair of upper slotsiormed through the body portion and communicating with the upper compartment, a pair of disaligned lower slots through the body portion and communicating with the lower come partment; a single pair of slots through the body portion and communicating with the lower re.- cess; a base comprising a dielectric block engaged with the back face of the main body portion and closing the upper recess and the lower recess, a bolt extending through the main body portion and through the base for connecting the same; a pair of upper contacts on the base and extending into the upper compartment, a pair of lower contacts on the base and extending into the lower compartment, a single pair of contacts on the base and extending into the lower recess, all of said pairs of contacts being aligned with their respective pairs of slots, and connection means extending between and electrically connecting the pair of lower contacts and the pair of single contacts, and a face plate carried by the main body portion and connected thereto by the bolt.

3. An outlet comprising a main body portion, said main body portion comprising a dielectric block having in its inward side an upper recess and a lower recess and a partition in the upper recess dividing the same into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a pair of upper slots formed through the body portion and communicating with the upper compartment, a pair of disaligned lower slots through the body portion and communicating with the lower compartment; a single pair of slots through the body portion and communicating with the lower recess; a base comprising a dielectric block engaged with the back face of the main body portion and closing the upper recess and the lower recess, a bolt extending through the main body portion and through the base for connecting the same; a pair of upper contacts on the base and extending into the upper compartment, a pair of lower contacts on the base and extending into the lower compartment, a single pair of contacts on the base and extending into the lower recess, all of said pairs or" contacts being aligned with their respective pairs of slots, and connection means extending between and electrically connecting the pair of lower contacts and the pair of single contacts, and multiple conductor means, a plug having two pairs of electrodes arranged to enter said upper and said lower pairs of slots, said conductor means being selectively connected to said electrodes, one pair of said electrodes being adapted to enter said upper pair of slots only, and the remaining pair of electrodes being adapted to enter said lower pair of slots only for engaging the corresponding contacts.

4. An outlet comprising a main body portion, said main body portion comprising a dielectric block having in its inward side an upper recess and a lower recess and a partition in the upper recess dividing the same into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a pair of upper slots formed through the body portion andcommunicating with the upper compartment, a pair of disaligned lower slots through the body portion and communicating with the lower compartment; a single pair of slots through the body portion and communicating with the lower recess; a base comprising a dielectric block engaged with the back face of the main body portion and closing the upper recess and the lower recess, a bolt extending through the main body portion and through the base for connecting the same; a pair of upper contacts on the base and extending into the upper compartment, a pair of lower contacts on the base and extending into the lower compartment, a single pair of contacts on the base and extending into the lower recess, all of said pairs of contacts being aligned with their respective pairs of slots, and connection means extending between and electrically connecting the pair of lower contacts and the pair of single contacts, and multiple conductor means, a plug having two pairs of electrodes arranged to enter said upper and said lower pairs of slots, said conductor means being selectively connected to said electrodes, one pair of said electrodes being adapted to enter said upper pair of slots only, and the remaining pair of electrodes being adapted to enter said lower pair of slots only for engaging the corresponding contacts, said pairs of electrodes being arranged to enter said pairs of slots simultaneously only. 41

HAROLD D. MILLER. 

